By Robert Schrader
Weird and Amazing Travel Expert, about.com
The Cappadocia region of central Turkey is famous for its rugged landscapes, unreal sunsets and the fact that both facilitate what are probably the most scenic hot air balloon rides in the world. In particular, the rock formations of Cappadocia are impressive, some to an obscene extent.
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And I do mean obscene, when
it comes to "Love Valley" anyway. The craziest thing about this
scattering of stone pillars, which is located near the town of Göreme,
isn't that they're shaped like huge penises – it's that man, for all his
obsessions with his own genitalia, had no part in making them.
The Story of Love Valley
The
area around Love Valley has been continuously inhabited for thousands
of years, so it's tempting to assume that some ancient people carved the
rocks to look like penises. After all, the Pyramids of Giza are just
down the road, relatively speaking, so if ancient Egyptians built those,
one would hope the Turks of yesteryear could've fashioned rocks to look
like their private parts.
As it turns out, however, the penis-shaped rocks of Love Valley are
totally natural. It isn't clear exactly how long they've been there, but
scientists believe that ancient volcanic eruptions deposited a large
amount of ash in the region, which several millennia of wind erosion
have shaped into, well, penises.
How Big Are Turkey's Penis Rocks?
It
wouldn't be appropriate to discuss anything related to penises, real or
imaginary ones, and not bring up the topic of size, right? I'm happy to
report that Turkey's Penis Rocks are absolutely huge. Specifically, the
phallic stones of Love Valley can reach an impressive 50 meters (about
150 feet) in height – they make even well-endowed humans cower in shame!
How to Visit Love Valley
To
reach Love Valley, fly from Istanbul to either Kayseri or Nevsehir
Airport, then use ground transportation to get to Göreme – either an
arranged transfer, a private taxi or local buses. If you plan to use
local transport, Nevsehir Airport is the best option, as it sits closer
to the regional bus terminal than Kayseri Airport does. An alternative
option would be to fly to Konya, a city famous for its association with
Sufi poet Rumi, an enjoy the Rumi-related sights of that city—including,
perhaps, a spellbinding Sufi "dance" ritual—before continuing on to
Göreme.
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Once you reach Göreme, you can technically hike (or bike)
to reach Love Valley, although poorly-marked trails mean that all but
the most experienced travelers might be better off hiring a guide. To
that end, it's possible to take an organized group tour of Turkey's
Penis Rocks, even if that's not as, well, intimate. After arriving at
the Fairy Chimneys, as the Penis Rocks are also known, you can take your
time walking through them.
The most scenic option for looking out
onto the Love Valley is to take a hot air balloon ride from Göreme,
such as the one offered by Turkiye Balloons.
Keep in mind that your balloon ride is highly dependent on factors such
as wind and weather, so it's best if you have at least a few days of
wiggle room in your itinerary, in case you need to re-schedule.
